Auggie's breeder's husband and I have had multiple discussions about Payton's inability to gain weight without getting the runs and switching to Verus came up, because it's a far more simple formula and it also happens to be higher calorie per cup, so we're not sure if that might work. He kicked all the P&G foods out of his store so he was glad to get this in more or less to replace Cali Naturals, which I LOVED Cali Naturals for the KISS ingredient list... so I'm really tempted to switch all my guys to it. It's not grain free but I don't think Pay has an issue with grains (he was on a grain-inclusive food at his breeder's but on TOTW ever since coming home with me); Pepper only has an issue with corn and Auggie has no grain problems so I think we would be okay...

Anybody have input on Verus as a brand? It's a small company - the sample bags are clear poly bags with a simple printed sticker on it - so I'm not sure if they're in any of the places you guys are in...

Are you looking for samples, or just input on the food itself? The cats are going through a bag of it right now. Rumor ate a bag or two when she was younger, and my old Doberman seemed to do well on it when he tried it. It's made in Maryland, so it's extremely cheap here.

I've never seen it outside of Maryland, so I'm probably the only one here who has tried it. I think it's okay. Duke switched between California Natural and Verus. His stomach was a bit sensitive, and he did well on them. Rumor has an iron stomach, so I don't know if the fact that she did fine on it should even count. The cats just started a bag along with some of their canned food, so we'll see how they do. There are other foods I'd prefer, but I'd choose it over Blue Buffalo, California Natural, Innova... Duke did great on it, where on other foods he'd have digestive issues and look gross. Rumor I think does better on other foods, but she did fine on it. I don't think I've fed it to her in probably five years, though. And for Duke it would be at least ten years ago. Maybe none of my input is particularly valid since it's been so long, lol.

It's helpful that you've tried it at all LOL! I was afraid nobody else had ever heard of it.

I may have to just give it a shot. The easy suggestion was to feed Payton green beans to increase his fiber and see if that doesn't help hold his poos together, so I've been trying that... he is the ONLY one of my dogs who will not eat green beans! He'll snuffle around them in the bowl and leave them, eating maybe a few because it's in his way to get to food but definitely not eating them all. I've been letting Auggie eat them after Payton says he's done. =P
I've increased his TOTW again anyway but I'm expecting within a few days he'll have loose poops again; if he does I think I'm going to just pick up some Verus and try that, hoping the fact that it's more simple will help him digest it better and maybe actually gain some weight. x_x

I would definitely give the Verus a try. Duke had a really sensitive stomach, and loose poops and vomiting were fairly common. He didn't have either of those while on the Verus. Rumor can keep down and digest buffalo chicken wraps and almonds after being dosed with hydrogen peroxide. Her results on Verus count for nothing. She's weird.

Do all of your dogs have to be on the same food? If not, I would see if you can get your hands on a small bag of Canine Caviar. Nothing simpler on the market and the probiotic they use is ridiculously amazing. I joke with customers that it's impossible for the dog to have loose stool because of the probiotic in it.

It's not cheap, but if you can put just Pay on it, might be worth it. I can't imagine living with constant loose stools, that sucks :/

No, they don't have to be on the same food, but it makes things a good deal easier! I don't think there's anywhere around here selling Canine Caviar... I could ask and see if he could order some for me.

It's actually not constant loose stool (at least not since his clostridium cleared up last year.) It's whenever I try to increase the amount of food he's getting to put weight on him. He'll EAT however much I give him... he just seems to have trouble digesting it. Last time I think we made it almost a week, I thought "Hey! Maybe we got it this time!!" - then I came home from work to diarrhea in his crate.

I think the suggestion has also come up before of putting him on something grain-inclusive, that he might gain some weight better if he had grains...

Verus, like said above, is made in Maryland so it's at our local store. It's in pretty blue-ish colored bags though lol. Not plain.

I used to dogsit two dogs who did fantastic on it. Always heard GREAT things on the company. No recalls, great company, small local owned, etc.

I love the personal responses you get from them too. I emailed them a while back after I thought Jackson had pancreatitis and they gave me a super long explanation, and intimate details about their food, which formulas would be best, where the food is produced, the ash content of each formula, who formulates it, etc.

Do you guys have Fromm Gold where you live? Some of the Gold lines are really good, IMO, even though they're grain inclusive. Ash levels are in check, meat content is high, fairly simple, and very cost efficient. I've been feeding a rotation of the Adult Gold and the Four Star Salmon Tunalini (Beef before that) and I honestly think he does better on Gold.